We are always looking for ways to improve ourselves via daily habits or making small changes every now and again. To be completely successful, happy and continue motivated, we must align all of our goals toward the same direction.
The problem is that you have filled your days already with your daily tasks. You want to implement changes and know almost which ones you should, but not how to actually implement them in your day, the prerequisites to set yourself up. This is where we would like to be different!
The Early Bird Catches The Worm
Okay, so you have made the choice to be a better you, Well done! The first step of making the conscious decision to change is always the hardest part. Lets start from the beginning
By waking up between 4:30am- 5:30am you are putting yourself in the morning rituals of the elite.
Harvard biologist Christoph Randler discovered in 2008 that early risers are more proactive. They were more likely to agree with statements like "I feel in charge of making things happen."
If you on an average have not been waking up in this optimal time, it will sometimes prove difficult to haul yourself out of bed. This is natural and nothing to get annoyed about, you simply need to train yourself.
- Good Nights Sleep - To wake up at 5:00am you will need to hit the hay at 10:00pm. Some say they are more awake on 6 hours of sleep. While some lifestyles may not allow that. In further articles we will talk about how you can optimize your evenings to achieve your goals and spend time with the family.
- Do Not Eat After 9:00pm - This will allow your body to properly digest and be ready to go in the morning. Eating late or before you go to sleep, will leave you waking up feeling heavy and bloated. Which does not help when you want to bounce out of bed with a spring in your step.
- Sit Up Correctly - Ever heard of 'wrong side of the bed'? Well here it is 'wrong side of you!' Roll onto your side, slowly lift yourself up with your arm, sit up and gently raise your head taking a deep breath. When you get this into habit, getting out of bed will never have been so easy!
Where Is My Phone? : Keep It That Way For 60 Minutes.
We are constantly looking at computer screens throughout the day and reacting to someone else schedule. Not in your mornings you aren't! This is your time, a time to center yourself and work out what is important for you.
Apart from switching off your alarm, all mobile phones, laptops even the TV should not come in to view until you have been awake for 60+ minutes. This allows you to have dedicated time for yourself with no interruptions. Trust us, you will feel so much better for it! You will start to feel like you have control of your days.
- Leave your mobile on the bedside table or kitchen counter until you have completed your routine, you will be tempted to check your emails or social media when you first start trying to change your habits, but do resist. You come first, not someone who wants a re-tweet.
- You may be tempted to listen to podcast, radio interview or news stations to fill this gap, try not too. The goal here is to have 60 minutes of uninterrupted peace, We don't want to be filling our heads with information until we tell ourselves 'Okay I am ready, lets do this.' Soft music in the background is good if you can't handle the silence, like myself.
- This forces you out of bed, If you aren't allowed to check your notifications until you are fed, showered & dressed.. what are you going to go do?
Fill The Tank, Wash The Car
With the proper starting fuel (and regular pit-stops) you will start your day stronger than ever. Drink a glass of luke-warm water with fresh lemon 30 minutes before you eat. The lemon aids your metabolism and opens the stomach, the time gap also allows you to develop an appetite.
Breakfast is the best meal of the day and if done correctly it should be your biggest. You will want to eat either a wholewheat cereal or oats, some fresh fruit (grapefruit or raspberry/blueberries are the best). A cup of coffee or fresh juice is a great addition to the meal.
Once you have eaten and put away the dishes, go wash yourself down. Some people prefer to shower in the evenings, others in the morning. Waking up between 4:00am & 5:00am gives you the ability to fit a shower in the morning. This wakes you up and properly stimulates your senses and gets the blood pumping.
- You are not going to be able to eat in the morning as well as you should be if you fill up the night before. DO NOT consumer caffeine 4-6 hours before you go to bed! You don't need it so cut it out.
- Never skip breakfast. You will only regret it later on in the day.
- Exercising in the morning is a great way to fit in that morning shower ritual
Push, Pull & Lift
Exercise is a great morning motivator. It gets the blood pumping and makes you more present. The ability to work on a project (ie. yourself in the case) consistently allows you to see improvement on a daily basis. This is more motivational juice than anyone can handle.
Showing yourself a progression or results is the best way to get you fired up. We as people like to see that our efforts matter, it makes us feel good about ourselves that we are making an impact. No matter how small it may seem to someone else. If you run an extra 0.5 of a mile instead of yesterday, you have improved! You are better than you were yesterday! Never stop telling yourself you are getting better.
- Eat right for breakfast to fuel your morning work-out and you will be feeling great!
- 45 - 60 Minutes of exercise per day 4/5 days week will keep you in shape and motivated
- Daily exercise teaches you traits you can apply to all aspects of your life; patience, hard-work, dedication
We sometimes take ourselves for granted, take a step back and appreciate your hard work.
If you are someone who is trying to make a positive change in your life, it could be personal or financial, you will always have someone trying to bring you down. It is your job to know you are worth more than that.
When someone see's you doing something that they don't understand or know they themselves could not do, the first thing they will do is tell you that it is wrong or that you are wasting your time. That is jealousy, they see you going above and beyond the normal conventions of life and trying to be something more and they can't handle it.
If they are trying to pull you down to their level, they must have been below you in the first place. Don't let others negative and uneducated comments deter you from your goals, you are doing great and keep reminding yourself of that fact!
If you have taken the path to self improvement and committed to the idea you have in your head. You are doing great! Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Sometimes you will miss that alarm, run past a deadline on a project that is fine. It is all in the name of progress and as long as you are better than you were yesterday, you have accomplished more than most.
We will be writing more of these articles for Daily, Evenings & Weekend routines and how to implement them into your life, if you have any suggestions or would like to get involved in the discussion please comment below, We love to connect with you all!
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